Disney Magic Kingdom For The First Time #12

I am literally bouncing off of the walls to finally share our Disney days. This post is all about our time at Magic Kingdom which was the first of four days at Walt Disney World Orlando. It contains a lot of photos, I had to put them all in collages because I literally took hundreds.

Our tickets to Disney World were kindly gifted to us along with some amazing FastPass enhancements. Usually you get 3 FastPasses per guest at Disney and we had been gifted more. We also had a Michael’s VIP tour guide for all four of our Disney days which I’d highly recommend if you are first time Disney visitors like we were.

We met up with Brooke, our tour guide, at the Disney Contemporary hotel. She was bubbly and excited to share our day with us. As our tickets had been arranged on our behalf and we wasn’t staying on site, we needed to pick up our FastPass+ cards. I love that they all have Disney photos on. We then headed for the entrance.

It’s hard to put into words the excitement I felt that morning. Obviously I’d seen loads of pictures, watched many hours of Disney vlogs and researched ahead of our trip, but I didn’t truly know what to expect from it all. Would it be as amazing as I hoped it would?

I can confirm that seeing the Magic Kingdom was everything and more. You can hear in my video an excited squeak! The girls were a little confused from our excitement. Weirdly they hadn’t been that interested in all the Disney stuff especially the older movies.

We took a quick toilet stop, time to smother on sun screen, a snack and drink before we head to watch the opening show at the foot of the castle. Brooke made sure we had the best position and prewarned Freya of the little fireworks they let off. This was the first time we got to see Mickey and Minnie Mouse, with the Disney Princesses too. It was all very exciting.

The castle was opened and we walked through into the park. There’s a beautiful mosaic as you walk through and with the crowds its easy to forget to take a look at it. It’s absolutely stunning and so clever.

To kick start our Disney magic, Brooke hopped us in to see the Disney Princesses Rapunzel and Tiana. We didn’t have FastPasses for this but the queue was really short as it was first thing in the morning. Eva had specifically asked to see Rapunzel when I sent our requests to the Michael’s VIP team ahead of our trip. She is aspiring to have hair just as long.

We used our first FastPass for Speedway. Speedway is suitable for anyone above 81cm tall. When we showed the girls different videos of rides at Disney (Freya has autism in case you didn’t know and likes to prepare and know what is going to happen) Elsa specifically wanted to do Speedway.

The ride allows you to take control of a gas-powered car that stays on a track so you can’t lose control. I actually found the pedal really hard to push and they are very noisy cars, but the girls had the best time. As Eva does, she became attached to Brooke our tour guide so she was riding with her, I had Freya and Hubby had Elsa.

Once the ride was over, Elsa was desperate to ride again, she loved it so much!

The great thing about having Michael’s VIP tours with us was that Brooke planned out our entire day, she took control of it and also the stroller. We didn’t have to worry about where to go next or how to get somewhere, Brooke lead the way and we followed. Quite rapidly actually as she walks very fast.

Our next ride was the first rollercoaster of our Disney trip. The Barnstormer. Again, it didn’t have much of a queue so we hopped on without a FastPass. Another great thing about having Brooke is that she wouldn’t make us queue for any longer than 10 minutes for a ride, so she was picking things out that had short queue times or was organising the FastPasses we had accordingly.

The Barnstormer is suitable for children 89cm and taller. Sadly, we couldn’t persuade Freya to come on with us so it was just Eva, Hubby and me that rode. The rollercoaster is a mild one and doesn’t travel too fast. I actually think Freya would have loved it if she got over the fear she has. The only bad thing about the ride is that it was quite jolty, it added to the excitement I think.

The next ride was one for all of us, Under The Sea Journey of the Little Mermaid. It’s actually suitable for all heights and ages so the perfect family ride. I loved the Little Mermaid as a child but I don’t think the girls had watched the film or at least not recently but surprisingly, it didn’t matter.

Elsa was in awe. Pointing out Ariel, Sebastian and friends as we climbed into a giant clam shell and was taken on an under water adventure. It’s a slow, smooth ride with a few little turns as you explore. It’s incredible and so magical. I was amazed at the technology behind this ride and all of the colours that literally immerse you.

The next ride was specifically for Eva, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. This is a thrill ride with small drops suitable for 97cm and above. It was right up Eva’s street. I was actually a little bit nervous as it was one of the faster rides in Magic Kingdom. It was great fun and it definitely satisfied Eva’s need for a thrill.

Whilst we were riding the Mine Train, Brooke took the other two and my Mum onto the Prince Charming Regal Carousel. This meant that nobody was waiting and everybody was having the best time throughout the day. I loved that because being a family with mixed ages and abilities, there would usually always be some of us waiting for the others. Having Brooke eliminated that.

There are lots of different shows, meet and greets and so much more happening at Magic Kingdom. It’s not just about rides and theme park fun which is why it’s great for all ages. After the Mine Train and Carousel, we all went to watch Mickey’s PhilharMagic. It’s a 12 minute 3D show featuring the favourite Disney characters. It features some special effects, a little splash of water and lots of fun.

Peter Pan’s Flight has got to be one of my favourite rides. It was definitely Freya’s eventually. She was actually really worried about getting on this one, but after having Brooke explain every detail she stepped on board the flying ship. The Disney Cast Members sprinkled fairy dust on the ships to make them fly. Such a special touch.

The attention to every detail on the rides and whilst wandering around Magic Kingdom is amazing. I was very grateful to have Brooke pushing our stroller allowing the adults to be able to notice small details. You have to keep your eyes peeled for hidden Mickey’s!

The next on our list of priorities was to purchase our first official Minnie ears. You can most definitely get these cheaper at places like Walmart, or even online, but I felt like our first ever Disney trip deserved official “we bought them in Magic Kingdom” ears.

Our ears were just under $30 each. So a lot of money for all four girls and then my Mum also. There’s so many ears to pick from and it took the girls quite a bit of time to pick. Eva chose the rainbow pride ones, Elsa had the dotty classic ears, I had the sequin classic ears, Freya had gorgeous treats ones and my Mum picked the American flag. I loved them all though and will make it a tradition to buy a pair each time we go on a trip.

One of my favourite movies of all time is the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Mainly because Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp are just gorgeous in them. I actually didn’t realise it was a Disney film. Of course when I did, I popped it on our “must do” ride list.

This is another all age any height ride. It’s a slow ride where you board a ship and float through various iconic scenes from the movie. It was so cool. The girls haven’t seen the films yet, I’m wondering when they’ll be old enough? But it didn’t really matter too much, they just enjoyed the pirate atmosphere.

We decided to eat at Tortuga Tavern for our lunch, although without a Disney Dining Plan it did cost a fortune. Brooke kindly found us a table and entertained the children whilst we ordered our food.

We went with nachos, with the sides on the side and a few drinks. Water is free at Disney. Brooke went off to have her own lunch and a break whilst we ate. Thankfully all of us enjoyed the food and filled our bellies for the rest of the afternoon.

It was probably a little stupid to do Splash Mountain straight after eating but that’s exactly what we did. The “mountain” rides are the biggest rides at Disney, the most thrill ones I suppose. Splash Mountain is quite obviously a water ride.

Despite Eva being a complete thrill seeker, we couldn’t persuade her to go on this ride as she’s absolutely terrified of getting her face wet. I know, it doesn’t really make sense does it!? So instead, Hubby and I queued to experience it. I can remember feeling really wobbly with nerves for this ride. It had the big log flume drop that scares me.

We then met back up with Eva for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This is another thrill ride that has a higher height requirement of 102cm. Thankfully Eva is above that now so she was really excited to ride. This ride was absolutely terrifying for me, it goes backwards at some points and accelerates really quickly too. I even struggled to catch my breath and yes I know that sounds pathetic.

However, Eva was loving her life. You can see it in the video I filmed below. Her little face is so wonderful to watch. Her dreams were coming to life in that moment. She was even brave enough to lift her arms.

Whilst we was riding the mountain rides, Brooke our tour guide, had taken the others (my Mum, Freya and Elsa) to Tom Sawyer Island. This is a little rustic area that the girls explored with Brooke. There was also a little outdoor, but shaded, play area for the girls to spend some time in.

We then used another FastPass for the Jungle Cruise. Despite using the FastPass, this ride was probably one we had to queue at for the longest the entire day. It was really popular and because each river boat is operated manually, some take a while to get back to the dock for various reasons.

Having said that, it’s a ride suitable for all ages and heights. None of the animals or people that you see are real but the cast member does an amazing job in telling facts and jokes as you float by. The girls loved it and were completely captivated.

We then followed Brooke back past the castle and into the Tomorrowland area of Magic Kingdom. We passed a band playing, souvenir stalls and characters wandering around. There’s so much buzz and action constantly throughout Magic Kingdom.

Obviously we couldn’t pass the castle without stopping for more photos, especially now we all had our Minnie ears. I love the one of my Mum. Which is your fav?

Tomorrowland is home to the monsters, aliens and space related creatures and rides of Disney. The first ride we did in this section was the Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Freya was getting a little anxious about it as it said “spin” so Brooke calmly explained the entire ride to her.

Somehow we managed to get both my Mum (who suffer with motion sickness) and Freya onto this ride. I think that Elsa had chosen not to do this ride and sat in the shade with Brooke.

We then headed for the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor. This is another interactive show that absolutely blew my mind. They really do engage with the audience so don’t be surprised if you become part of the show. We all loved it and I had totally forgotten that Monsters Inc was Disney.

Whilst we was in the show, Brooke had somehow worked her own magic in getting us a spot in the VIP/disabled area for the Magic Kingdom parade. I have no idea how she did it but it was great to have more space around us and being front row for photos.

As you can guess, the parade was our next thing to tick off of our must have things to do. You can’t go to Disney without watching a parade right? We’d obviously seen the Universal Orlando Resort parades many times, but didn’t know what to expect from a Disney one.

The weather was really hot at this point of the day, and we had a short time to wait. Brooke kindly fetched us some water and a couple of umbrellas to shade us from the direct sunlight. We had to put cardigans on the floor for the girls to sit on because the floor was scorching hot.

I was blown away and may have had a few tears in my eyes. The floats are incredible, the performers are so talented and it was amazing to be within a few metres of it all. Some of the characters even came to high five the girls. Oh and the songs, it was truly magical!

After the parade was over we used another FastPass for the Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh ride. It’s another slow ride with a few spin parts. Winnie the Pooh was definitely one of my childhood favourites, especially Eeyore. I even had an Eeyore Christmas tree once. What I’m trying to say is that I was so excited for this ride and it was so cute!

Our next ride was It’s A Small World. This has the catchiest song throughout the entire ride. It’s one of those really annoying songs that makes you want to throttle someone, then sticks in your head all day long. The ride is suitable for all and you sit in boats as you go through different areas.

The ride is slow and Eva definitely found it a boring, however Elsa was in her element. She loves anything sensory and this gave her all of that stimulation. She was pointing and shouting out different objects. Super cute.

At this point of the day we had some time to use up some FastPasses that we had and do some of the rides we loved most. Everyone was in agreement to do the Peter Pan’s Flight. Freya had originally been a bit reluctant to ride but now wanted to do it over and over.

The other ride to go on again was of course Elsa’s favourite, Speedway. Eva actually decided to sit this one out with Brooke so I rode on my own, my Mum went with Freya and Hubby of course went with Elsa. It was loads of fun.

Dumbo The Flying Elephant was such a sweet ride. Elsa loved it and even Freya had got brave with the buttons. It’s a ride suitable for all and you have the ability to control how high or low you go. I had expected Freya to stay low but she went really high. I was quite proud.

Brooke had given her loads of confidence during our Magic Kingdom day and Freya was riding more rides than I ever thought she would. I was seeing her genuinely smiling and trying new things. It was lovely.

Brooke took my Mum, Freya and Elsa on the PeopleMover. You get a 10 minute tour of Tomorrowland in an elevated tram. It’s suitable for all ages and they had a lovely time whilst Hubby, Eva and I went on the third “mountain”, Space Mountain.

Eva was just above the height requirement of 112cm tall. It’s a rocket style rollercoaster where you sit in a line, single file. Eva was at the front, I was in the middle and Hubby with his long legs at the back of us.

It literally shoots past stars and meteors, they are not wrong when they say you can feel the pull of gravity. I think what terrified me most is the way it flung you from side to side, through absolutely darkness with the occasional flash of strobe lights. There’s also another carriage doing a different track at the same time so you hear screams racing past you in various places. I keep laughing about it now but I was constantly tapping Eva on her head to check she was still there.

Honestly, it was a great ride and was definitely Eva’s favourite of the day. Oh my gosh this was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I’d highly recommend it if you’re after a thrill.

Our day was sadly coming to an end. We had just enough time to grab some photos with some Disney balloons and by the iconic statue of Walt himself and Minnie Mouse with the castle in the background.

Brooke then managed to get us in to see Mickey and Minnie because obviously you can’t visit Magic Kingdom without meeting the main people! Elsa loves Minnie mouse but was super shy, I’m just glad she came in the photo with us.

I definitely didn’t want to leave Magic Kingdom. It had been everything I hoped for and so much more. Our whole family had been entertained the entire day thanks to Brooke from Michael’s VIPs.

I filmed our day which I hope you will take the time to watch. You can follow our lovely memories as they happen.

The next Disney post will be from our day at Hollywood Studios. So please pop back here in a few days to find out all about our second Disney day.

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Jodie Fisher

Welcome I am a young mum of three daughters; P1 born 2008, P2 born 2013 and P3 who was born in 2014. Our eldest is suspected to have ASD and we are going through that diagnosis process at the moment. Together with my family we cover topics relating to parenting, our daily struggles and joys of life, product reviews, our travel adventures, baking, crafts and everything in between. I hope you enjoy being here and please contact me if you have any queries.